[Review 1247] Perfetto Sorriso stars sparkle at iSquare part 2 @ Sorriso 意大利餐廳 Sorriso Italian Cuisine

22/08/2011

Sorriso 意大利餐廳 Sorriso Italian Cuisine
此店已改名為Champ Kitchen
尖沙咀彌敦道63號iSQUARE 國際廣場29樓2901號舖
Shop 2901, 29/F, iSquare, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/perfetto-sorriso-stars-sparkle-at-isquare-part-2-e2190819


Part two continued from above:
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Chocolate Souffle and Vanilla Ice Cream:
朱古力梳乎里 $68
When this arrived, you could smell the chocolate.
There was desiccated coconut on top which turned crispy after it had been baked, I really liked it because the coconut taste made it different instead of just plain chocolate.
There were pieces of melted chocolate in it too.
With the souffle there was a scoop of ice-cream to go with it as well.

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Tiramisu:
意大利芝士餅 $60
The cocoa powder on the tiramisu was extremely velvety and fine and the rest was thick and creamy.
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 Amaretto Zabaglione:
杏仁沙巴翁 $68
This was my favourite as well as the souffle. Zabaglione is a dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, a sweet wine that has been whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. For this dessert it was flavoured with Almond, and it was so foamy and light, I loved it because the texture was runnier than meringue, just like a sauce. At the bottom of the glass there was lots of strawberries and blueberries.
I loved the concoction of berries and sugary sweet foamy zabaglione.
I have tried it two times before, and it tastes the best here! One place paired it with the wrong fruits such as melons and watermelons and it tasted like frothy gamey milk and the other place it was just a scoop of whipped cream!
Sabayon sauce and melons:
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2056425
La Piazzetta's version of Zabaglione:
http://static2.openrice.com.hk/UserPhoto/photo/2/1YM/00DY6415A968EC07E919A0m.jpg

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Finally I would like to thank OpenRice for organizing this tasting event and the PR person who skillfully recommended the best items to eat and guiding us which dishes to start of with, from light to strong tastes.
I would also like to thank the OR editor for supplying the Chinese dish names.
Lastly I would like to wish Bruno and the team all the best and keep up with their excellent work and look forward to the white truffle and black truffle creation Bruno mentioned.
This place is definitely filled with innovation because the Chef makes the dishes with a special touch of creativity and Sorriso means SMILE and it surely did make me smile .
I have still not tried gastronomy but it felt as good as that.
Overall, all the dishes I tried were wonderful, on my next visit I am going to try the following dishes too.

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SSG's to try list:
-Truffle mashed potato
(I like mash and i like truffle!)
-Parpadelle with asparagus, artichoke and pesto mascarpone cheese sauce
-Lamb lasagne
(i want to try this because lasagne is usually made of beef or pork)
-Squid ink taglioline with smoked salmon, cod roe and vodka cream sauce!
(I like the luxurious combination of fine ingredients such as cod roe and vodka cream sauce)
-Gnocchi
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When I was leaving the restaurant, the roses on the corner were really pretty I had to take a picture.
I am not a person that likes flowers but I really liked the roses submerged in the water.
The colour of it was also nice too, light peach instead of the boring reds and pinks.

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Price: compared to other local places it is more expensive, but the dishes are unique and creative.
English menu: yes
Service: Brilliant
Yummy factor: Definitely.
MSG levels: none
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[Review 1246] Lucullus cake selection @ 龍島美食店 Lucullus Gourmet Shop

22/08/2011

龍島美食店 Lucullus Gourmet Shop
將軍澳重華路8號東港城1樓Area B
Area B, Level 1, East Point City, 8 Chung Wa Road, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/lucullus-cake-selection-e2190743

Lucullus are famous for chocolates but I decided to try their cakes.
I chose the black forest and chocolate cake with berries.
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Black forest
The cake and cream was dry, especially the cream, it was so dehydrated that it felt crumbly.
It was lacking cherries and the wine taste.

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Chocolate cake with berries
I was expecting the black forest to taste better, but actually this one tasted better.
It had more berries but the chocolate was stronger.

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Overall, the chocolate cakes have a heavy chocolate base which gives it weight and stability when it is being transported.
Then the top part of the cake is sponge and the cream.

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Price: around $25 per slice.
English menu: yes, I was surprised the staff knew their products!
Service: OK
Yummy factor: OK
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[Review 1245] The new talk of bread in town @ 麵包新語 BreadTalk

22/08/2011
麵包新語 BreadTalk
將軍澳貿業路8號新都城中心3期1樓132號舖
Shop 132, 1/F, MCP Discovery, 8 Mau Yip Road, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/the-new-talk-of-bread-in-town-e2190727

This branch of bread talk is located within the Wellcome supermarket.
It is rumoured that mall has been run by a Singaporean company hence it makes sense that there is a BreadTalk there.
However I wonder how long it survive because BreadTalk is quite high end for that area.

Anyway, it offers the same variety as their other branches.
I decided to try their cakes, so I bought three: Taro and kaya cake, lemon meringue tart and boston cherry chocolate cake.

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Taro and kaya cake
For this cake, it was a sponge roll filled with purple taro paste.
I could not taste any Kaya or see any kaya as stated on the label.
The taro paste was rather starchy.

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Lemon meringue tart
This was interesting because it actually had a slice of lemon on top.
It tastes like the usual lemon meringue cakes but it was too sweet.

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Boston cherry and chocolate cake
This was the best out of the three, it was not that sweet, and there was so many of cherry.
It was decorated with a small of macaron on top.

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Price: around $20 per slice.
Service: OK
Yummy factor: OK
Sweetness levels: depends which cake you choose
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[Review 1244] Perfetto Sorriso stars sparkle at iSquare Part 1 @ Sorriso意大利餐廳 Sorriso Italian Cuisine

22/08/2011
Sorriso意大利餐廳 Sorriso Italian Cuisine 此店已改名為Champ Kitchen
尖沙咀彌敦道63號iSQUARE 國際廣場29樓2901號舖
Shop 2901, 29/F, iSquare, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/perfetto-sorriso-stars-sparkle-at-isquare-part-1-e2190706
Sorriso is a newly opened Italian restaurant located on one of the top floors on iSquare, headed by an Italian Chef Bruno Nicolino.

I was honoured to be invited to a tasting session held by OpenRice.
When I walked in the restaurant, I was greeted by a magnificent night view of Hong Kong.
We were given some bread to start of with, which was made by Sorriso, there was some sauce to accompany the bread .

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Bread made by Sorriso

The sauce that comes with the bread is different everyday, today's sauce was green made with pesto and basil.
It had the appearance of Mint Sauce, but tasted fragrant with some sweetness to it.
The pesto however was well balanced and did not over power the other flavours in the sauce which made it perfect as a sauce for bread.
The bread was fresh and soft too.

They previously made a sauce with beans which sounds good too, I wonder if it tastes like hommous.

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Burrata Mozzarella and Tomato Sherbet 水牛芝士配番茄雪芭 $148

Next on was the Burrata, since I am British, I assumed the sherbet was going to be a fizzy powder sweet that you use licquorice to dip as kids. But Sherbet is the American word for the British Sorbet.
Anyway I have always loved Burrata because of its creamy texture and the creamy runny centre inside.
It is usually paired with freshly sliced tomatoes however here it is served with tomato sorbet on top.
I really liked this concept because I can feel the texture of burrata with a hint of tomato.
If it was paired with fresh tomato I would have probably eaten them separately because the texture of the tomato is different from the burrata and when you are chewing the tomato it is distracting.
This appetizer was great because I was able to taste the creaminess and texture of the burrata infused with hints of tomato.
The sorbet was nicely done, not too sweet or tangy, and it gave the burrata a cool sensation.
The texture of the burrata was amazing, it was a bit like the egg whites of poached eggs but firmer with creamy cheese oozing out in your mouth.
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Tartar di Manzo 魚子醬配牛肉他他$268

Osceitra Caviar, Beef Tartar, Potato Puree and Porcini Mushroom Jus
It was the first time I tried Beef Tartar and I loved it, especially with porcini mushroom juice at the bottom and the pureed potato on top.
The chef here really has the skill of pairing the right textures together!
The smoothness of the potato puree and beef tartar was great together, yet it wouldn't be too bland because it was flavoured by the big pearls of caviar and porcini juice!
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Vitello Tonnato:

Thin Sliced Veal Medallion and Tuna Sauce 薄切牛仔肉配吞拿魚汁$128
This is a well-known Italian cold appetizer, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavored with tuna.
Tuna fish is puréed in a food processor with a some kind of mayonnaise which could be made of vegetable or olive oil and a variety of seasonings including anchovies, egg yolks, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.
When it was presented, it was very summery and colourful, you could see the tuna sauce drizzled on the thinly sliced light pink veal topped with apricots, olives and their special green sauce. There was some condiments sprinkled on the plate as well, not sure if it was salt or sugar but it made the presentation really nice.
The tuna sauce was so velvety and creamy but you could still taste the fine tuna fibres in it.
The veal was really tender and melted in your mouth along with the tuna sauce, I would have thought I was just eating Tuna if I was blindfolded. An interesting pairing of fish and red meat, but saying that tuna is darker than most fishes.
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Zuppe zucchine:
Salmon and Zucchini Soup 三文魚zucchini瓜湯 $78

This was the first time I have had zucchini soup, it was jade in colour with cheese on top.
[zucchini are known as courgettes in the UK]
The cheese was made in a special way that it was like foam. The soup's texture was like thin pureed zucchini with pieces of salmon in it.
Overall the taste was light and appropriate and the piece of salmon was tender and wholesome, not broken up pieces of salmon.
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Zuppe de Pesce:
Seafood Soup 海鮮湯 $108
This was a rich soup which I really liked, it had prawns, clams and mussels. It tasted like lobster bisque but not as thick.
The seafood in the soup was fresh too.

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Penne Arabiata:
Penne and Spicy Tomato Olive Oil Sauce 長通粉配辣番茄汁 $118
Although it was the spiciest penne I have ever tasted, it was the best, their chili had been soaked in Olive oil so during the cooking process it gave out more flavour.
The penne was al-dente and the sauce was rich.

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Risotto Bruno:
Risotto, Italian Porcini Mushroom and Gold Leaf 金箔意大利磨菇飯 $228
The gold leaf was so delicate and thin you could see it fluttering in the air!
The sauce for the risotto was so light yet it was packed with porchini aroma that the grains of rice were amazing to eat.
The grains of rice were individual and al dente and it was so delicious with the pieces of porcini mushrooms.
Surrounding the risotto was some potato puree too.

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Pizza Al Carpaccio:
Margherita Pizza, Thin Sliced Raw Beef and Rocket
生牛肉披薩 $188
The pizza's here are really good, because the Chef does a light superthin pizza base.
The raw beef and rocket was good together. The rocket lettuce on this pizza was really tender it didnt have that bitter taste.

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Pizza Ai Funghi porcini:
Margherita Pizza, Porcini Mushroom and Truffle Oil
意大利磨菇披薩 $158
Same as the previous pizza, the base was thin and excellent, there was lots of juicy porcini mushrooms and the truffle oil was strong, so I really enjoyed it. Funghi heaven!

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As there are more photos to follow, it had to be separated into Part 1 and Part 2.

For Sorriso desserts read here for Part 2:
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2190819

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Price: compared to other local places it is more expensive, but the dishes are unique and creative.
English menu: yes
Service: Brilliant
Yummy factor: Definitely.
MSG levels: none
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[Review 1243] Standards have dropped @ 元朗正記

19/08/2011
元朗正記
將軍澳新都城二期商場2樓
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/standards-have-dropped-e2190059

Since my last visit, the standards have dropped.
For the noodles the soup was no longer as strong as it was previously, it tasted like diluted soup.
There were bits of black pieces in the soup.
As for the chicken, it didnt taste fresh and there was an overnight taste to it.

Previous review:
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2153977

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Price: Slightly more expensive than the average noodles.
English menu: nope!
Service: OK
Yummy factor: OK
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[Review 1242] Saved by sriracha sauce @ 西貢真味越南小廚

17/08/2011
西貢真味越南小廚
西貢福民路58-72號高富樓8號舖
Shop 8, Ko Fu Building, 58-72 Fumin Road, Sai Kung
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/saved-by-sriraicha-sauce-e2189567

Went here because there were quite a few positive comments on it on OpenRice.

The restaurant is extremely tiny and capable of seating around ten people.

Again, this is another restaurant in Sai Kung which tastes too local.

The beef and tomato was very disappointing because if you have had that in the city, the rice is red and not plain boiled rice.
There were only a few pieces of beef and beneath it was big chunks of carrot.
The grilled chicken was even worse, it was dry, but luckily there was a bottle of sriraicha sauce on the table.
The dishes came slowly, so by the time one dish was finished, the other one arrived.

I do not usually comment on the price, but around $34 per dish it quite expensive and it does not include a drink as well.
Perhaps the cambodian noodles in tomato soup would fare better, as the comments were mostly on that.


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Price: around $34 per dish excluding drinks
English menu: Nope
Service: OK
Yummy factor: not really
MSG levels: slightly
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[Review 1241] Disappearing and weird staff @ 恭和堂 Kung Wo Tong

11/08/2011
恭和堂 Kung Wo Tong
將軍澳貿業路8號新都城中心3期1樓125號舖
Shop 125, 1/F, MCP Discovery, 8 Mau Yip Road, Tseung Kwan O
https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/review/disappearing-and-weird-staff-e2188682

It is not like me to get drinks from this place, but I saw this murky lime coloured drink in one of the five dispensers so went over to see what it was.
I thought it was going to be cane juice but it was lemon and barley.
The rest of the four dispensers where traditional Chinese herb drinks which I do not drink.

Anyway, I ordered a cup of lemon and barley, and one of the assistants got a paper cup and put it it under the dispenser, filled it and left!
I was left wondering if the drink was ready or not!
Then another rude assistant came over to see why I was waiting at the entrance so I passed her the $9 which was the cost of the drink.
All she did was take the $9 and left, she didnt even ask what it was for.
She did not even pass me my drink.

Since I had already paid for the drink, it seemed legal to collect it the cup from the dispenser!

Overall the drink was OK, there was not any taste of any preservatives.
I felt the drink was slightly thick, but perhaps because there was not much left in the dispenser, so it was only residue.

The only let down was the strange service.

Although the customer service was poor, perhaps POLAM town is too urban, the people do not seem to have a concept of OpenRice or food reviews, they were highly suspicious and unfriendly when photos of the surroundings and drinks were taken!
This is probably why there are not any reviews on this place or restaurants around this area which are quite local and do not have branches in the city.

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Price: $9 per cup
English menu: nope
Service: NOT AT ALL!
Sweetness levels: very light but sligthy syrupy
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